The Redskins special teams gave up some big plays to the Cowboys on Sunday night, leading coach Mike Shanahan to say after the game that the team would be emphasizing that phase in the game during practice this week.
Their efforts to put forth a better performance will have to come without a couple of key members of the units. Shanahan announced Monday that long snapper Nick Sundberg and linebacker Bryan Kehl are both out for the season.
Sundberg injured his knee during the game and the torn meniscus is too severe for the Redskins to make him a two-time recipient of the designation to return from injured reserve tag. The Redskins used it on Sundberg after he broke a bone in his arm last season and then signed Sundberg to a four-year extension in the offseason.
Kehl tore his ACL in the game, bringing his second season with the Redskins to a close. Kehl was originally a fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2008 and joins Kenny Phillips, Terrell Thomas and Mario Manningham as members of that Giants draft class to deal with serious knee injuries during their careers.